Slush pump



A. A. ASHTON SLUSH PUMP Nov. 14, 1944.

Filed Jan. 13. 1943 ,Jzf/ef ISA/row Snventor;

(ttorneg Patented Nov. 14, 1944 sLUsH PUMP Albert A. Ashton, Houston,Tex., assgnor to Emsco Derrick & `Equipment Company, Los Angeles,Calif., a corporation of California Application January 13, 1943, SerialNo. 472,224

7 Claims.

My invention relates to an improvement in slush pumps of the typeemployed in the drilling of Wells by rotary method, and relates inparticular to a simple, yet eiiective, mud pump construction.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a pump of lightweight and simple construetion having as a part thereof a removablecrossv head so formed that it may be manufactured at minimum cost and isrigid and self-sustaining when secured in operative position. Throughthe simplicity of construction achieved therein, this slush pumpstructure achieves light weight Without sacrice of strength or any otherdesirable quality.

It is an object of the invention to provide a slush pump having areplaceable unitary cross head guide and means of simple and durablecharacter whereby the cross head guide is vsecured in operative positionbetween the luidand power ends of the pumping device.

It is a further `object of the invention to provide a cross head guidemember, as a separate unit for use in a power operative device of thisgeneral character, this cross head guide member having a base portionwhereby it may be secured to a supporting wall Ain the device, andhaving as a part thereof sealing meansl for cooperation with the pistonrod of the device.'

It is an object of the invention to provide a pump structure, 4or adevice of similar character, having a removable and replaceable vcrosshead guide for attachment 'means at one end thereof, and 'with the otherend thereof essentially open, the trame 'work rof 'the pump 4structurehaving means for cooperative engagement with the attachment-I means atone end of the cross head guide to vestablish alignment of the crosshead guide and piston rod as the `cross head Yguide is moved intoitsfoperativeposition in the structure.

Further objects 'and advantages of the invention will be brought out inIthe 'following part of the ispecifcation.

Referring to the drawing, which is -for illustrative purposes only,

Fig. llisaside view or a slush pumpincorporat- I ing my invention, faportion of `the device 'being vcutawayto showthe removablecross headguide.

The slush pump It shown .in Fig. ,1 has a pump unit I I of double acting.type and a power unit .I2 comprising a rotary member I3 such as a gearar.. ranged to be driven through a pinion I4. 'I'he gear I3 carries acrank member I5 `arranged to reciprocate a connecting rod I6.

The cylinder `Il 0f the 'unit II has therein a pis-ton I8 adapted tc hereciprocated by a piston rod I9. The pump unit Il andthe power unit I2are mounted on .a rigid base structure ZIJ, and Within the housing 2l ofthe power iinit I2 there is a supporting member 22, referred to herein-.after as the supporting wall for a unitary cross .head ,guide 213. y

Referring to Fig. 3, this unitary cross head guide z-a is `essentially acylinder ria-vine Side Por tions .cut raway to :produce windows -oropenings `2J! and leave upper and lower guide bars 25 which `are arcuatein crossfsection and extend in parallel .relation from a circular base216, this member 26 being sometimes `referred to herein as the head ofthe cross head ,gu-ide member, since it Iprovides a transverse wall:substantially closing the leftward end of the cross head .guide member,except for the provision ,Otan ripening 21 through which a 'portion ofthe piston rod passes. This base or head 26 also carries pas aunitalypart of the cross head member packing means or oil strippingmeans 2B. Eig. 1,101' engagement .with the surface of the piston frocito .prevent oil from beings carried out of .the gear and cross headchamber 29, and likewise to prevent rightward `movement ofthe piston rodIi9 irom Vcarrying foreign-material :into .the cross head member `23 andinto the chamber 29.

rIhe head or base .2@ of zthe unitary Icross head guide Amember 23 hasshoulder :means .for -cooperative engagement with the -supporting wall22 to position :the ,member .2,3 in its proper relation .t0 the pistonrod :t9 andthe cross head `3U which is `connected to the rightwa-rd 4endof vthe piston rod 19. This shoulder means comprises la radial face or.shoulder f3! and an annular iace or shoulder 32 carried :by a natcircular extension133 which project-s leftward ,from the 4transverseplane :defined by :the :radial ,face 3l.. From the-circular wall portion33 there leitwardly @X- tends `a short vcylindric wall. .d eni-ng .apacking chamber -35 which forms fa partei .thesealing or stripping means2.8,:Shown in Fig. ,1. L

The supporting wall .23 .has fshouldermeans .to cooperate with theShoulders v3l and .'32 ,0I .the guide member 23, suchshculdenmcans.Comprising the krightward plane-,face-.55. of.the wall 22, this plane`-5.5 being ,perpendicular to .the axis of r the piston rod I9, and anannular face 36 which denes an opening in the supporting wall 22. Whenthe guide member 23 is secured in place by screw means, such as studbolts 31, the head 26 of the guide member 23 lies in transverse relationto the opening dened by the shoulder 36, and the annular shoulder 32 ofthe member 23 cooperates with the shoulder 36 to establish coaxialalignment of the guide member 23 and the piston rod I9.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 3, the forward ends 38 of thecross head guide bars 25 are tied together by arched Wall segments 39.The connecting rod I6 extends into the open end of the guide member 23and has thereon an eye 40 which is received in a cavity 4I in the crosshead 30, and carries therein a roller bearing 42 for engagement with abearing pin 43, the ends of which are seated in the side walls 44 of the.cross head 30, as shown in Fig. 2.

A feature of my present invention is that the unitary cross head guidemember 23 may be readily machined from a single piece of metal, forexample, a casting, by useof simple turning and grinding operation.After it is completed and during its installation and use in the deviceshown in Fig. l, no adjustment of the guide bars 25 is required, sincethese guide bars 25 are rigidly supported and machined in fixed relationand are thereafter maintained in this xed relation. Replacement of theunitary guide member 23 when it has become Worn is more economical thanthe replacement of adjustably secured parts such as employed in ordinarycross head guides, and those difficulties arising from attemptedadjustments by unskilled workers are avoided. The removal andreplacement of the unitary cross head guide member 23, due to theAsimplicity of the supporting and securing means employed therefor, doesnot require the services of a machinist especially skilled in theadjustment of bearing parts.` A further feature of the invention is thatthe guide member 23 is supported in such relation to the crank member Ithat at the end of each rightward reciprocation, a small portion of 'thecross head 30, as indicatedby dotted lines 30 of Fig. 1, will projectfrom the rightward end 0f' the guide member 23 to expose aportion oftheupper bearing face of the cross head 30 to the path of oil producedin the chamber 29 by the 'action of the rotating and moving parts whichoperate therein.A f

- In Fig. 4 I show a cross head guide member 23 which embodies thegeneral features hereinbefore discussed with relation to the guideVmember 23. It has upper and lower guide bars 25' of arcuate crosssection, disposed with relation to the axis of the guide member 23 so asto denne a-n imaginary cylinder. Theforward ends 38' of the guide bars25 are disclosed without means to tie them together, such as the members33 shown in Fig. 3. These guide bars 25 are reenforced by ribs 46, whichproject from a circular base 26 analogous to the base 26 of Fig. 3. Inthis form of the invention, the piston rod I9 may be reciprocatedthrough use of a cross head A 30' having flattened sides from which theends of a pin 43 project into engagement with the ends of the forks 41of a bifurcated connecting rod I6'. The gap 48 between the forks 41 ofthe connecting rod I6 has a lateral dimension greater than the width ofthe guide ybars 25.

I claim as my invention:

1.'In a pumping device of the character described, the i combination-of:"a reciprocating pump unit having a piston rod extending therefrom;a supporting wall in transverse relation to the axis of said piston rodand having an opening therein, through which a portion of said pistonrod extends; a crank member supported in operative position on theopposite side of said Wall from said pump unit; a unitary cross headguide member having at one end thereof a head through which said pistonrod passes and having its other end open, said head having a shoulder tocooperate with said opening in said supporting member for aligning saidguide member with said piston rod and there being upper and lower rigidguide bars extending from said head in parallel relation to the axis ofsaid piston rod,y said guide member being removably secured to saidsupporting wall in a position with its open end projecting toward saidcrank member and with its head in transverse relation to said opening ofsaid supporting wall; a cross head slidable in said guide member andbeing connected to said piston rod for reciprocation thereof, and havingupper and lower bearing faces to engage said side bars; and a connectingrod connecting said crank member to said cross head.

2. In a pumping device of the character described, the combination of areciprocating pump unit having a piston rod extending therefrom; asupporting wall in transverse relation to the axis of said piston rodand having an opening therein, through which a portion of said pistonrod extends; a crank member supported in operative position on theopposite side of said wall from said pump unit; a unitary cross headguide member having at one end thereof a head through which said pistonrod passes and having its other end open, the head of said guide memberbeing removably secured to said supporting Wall and having its open' endprojecting toward said crank member and with its head in transverserelation to said opening of said supporting Wall; across head slidablein said guide member and being connected to said piston rod forreciprocation thereof; and a connecting rod connecting said crank memberto said cross head.

3. In a pumping device of the character described, the combination of: areciprocating pump unit having a piston rod extending therefrom; asupporting lwall in transverse relation to the axis of saidpiston rodand having coaxially with said piston rod a circular opening therein,through which a portion of said piston rod extends; a crank membersupported in operative position on the opposite side of said wall fromsaid pump unit; a unitary crosshead guide member having a circular baseat one end thereof, said guide member being characterized by being ofessentially tubular form and having side portions thereof cut away so asto leave fguide bars extending in parallel relation from said basethereof, said base having an annular shoulder to extend into saidcircular opening of said supporting wall for producing alignment of saidguide member with said piston rod, saidv guide member being removablysecured to said supporting Wall in a position projecting from said walltoward said crank means; a cross headslidable in said guide member andbeing connected `to said piston rod for reciprocation thereof and havingupper and lower bearing faces to engage said side bars; and a connectingrod connecting said crank member to said cross head. l

4. In a pumping device vof the character described, the combination.ofiz' a. reciprocating tends; a crank member supported in operativeposition on the opposite side of said wall from said pump unit; aunitary cross head guide member having a circular base at one endthereof, said guide member being characterized by being of essentiallytubular formand having side portions thereof cut away so as to leaveguide bars extending in parallel relation from said base thereof, saidbase having an annular shoulder to extend into said circular opening ofsaid supporting wall for producing alignment of said guide member withsaid piston rod, said guide member being removably secured to saidsupporting wall in a position projecting from said wall toward saidcrank means, said guide member also comprising sealing means carried bysaid base in position to engage said piston rod; a cross head slidablein said guide member and being connected to said piston rod forreciprocation thereof and having upper and lower bearing faces to engagesaid side bars; and a connecting rod connecting said crank member tosaid cross head.

5. In an article of manufacture comprising a unitary cross head guidemember for use in a pumping device having a piston rod and a cross headreciprocated by' crank means and a casing: a removable open ended basehaving guide bars extending therefrom in parallel relation and free ofsaid casing, a supporting means in transverse relation to the axis ofsaid piston rod; and means on said base for cooperation with saidsupporting meansv to hold the same in operative alignment with saidpiston rod. v

6. In an article of manufacture comprising a unitary cross head guidemember for use in a pumping device having a piston rod and a cross headreciprocated by crank means and a casing: a base having guide barsextending therefrom in parallel relation and free of said casing, saidguide bars being arcuate in cross section and being positioned so as todefine an imaginary cylinder, the ends of said guide bars opposite saidbase defining an open end for said cross head guide; a support withwhich said base is removably associated; and sealing means carried bysaid base for cooperating with said piston rod.

7. In a device of the character described, in combination with areciprocating pump unit including the piston rod, crank member, andcrosshead: a circular plate having a diametrically smaller annularprojection and a chamber eX- tended from said projection for a packingunit, said plate provided with a substantially tubular open-ended guide;a support for said plate in transverse relation to the axis of saidpiston rod, said support having an opening to receive the annularprojection thereof; and the plate and support provided with mutuallyengaging means removably to hold the plate and guide in position.

ALBERT A. AsH'roN.

